


Battered

by krazyk2314



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Reader Insert, mentions of abuse, sam and dean to the rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 07:40:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 19,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10849488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krazyk2314/pseuds/krazyk2314
Summary: Can you do a one shot where the reader is friends with Sam, Dean, and Cas, but is being abused by her parent and they find out and help her





	1. Chapter 1

Your parents were hunters. Which meant your life had never been normal from day one. Growing up on the road, traveling from place to place. Never staying in a school long enough to make friends. On top of that, your parents were constantly getting into fights, making living in a small motel room horrible. Many times, you would find yourself down at the library, staying until they closed just to have some sort of peace.  
Everything changed the moment your parents had started hunting with John Winchester. They seemed to calm down, their arguing simmering down to every now and then. Now, you were able to stay at the same high school, spending time with their good friend Bobby while they went on hunts. That’s when you met Sam and Dean, John’s sons. They had been standoffish from the get go. But soon, the three of you realized how alike you were, and you became inseparable. Years passed, and major events happened. Sam had gone off to college, surprising both you and Dean. Your parents had pulled you away from your life in Sioux Falls following a fall out with John. You and Dean had tried to keep in touch, but it was hard, and soon the two of you hadn’t spoken for almost a year.  
That all changed one fateful day. You received a phone call from an unknown number as you waited for your parents to come back from a hunt. It had been, telling you that his Dad was missing, and that he was on his way to go get Sam. Asking if you would come along. But the thought of going against your parents had your shaking your head no. Your parents weren’t easy to deal with on a good day, and you knew they wouldn’t want you to go.   
Things with your parents had gone from bad to worse, but you had no one to turn to. Sam and Dean were busy saving the world from one thing after another, and you didn’t want to bug them. Truthfully, you hadn’t talked to them in almost a year. Instead, you spent more money than normal on makeup, trying to cover the bruises your parents gave you whenever they returned home from the bar, or another bad hunt. But there was no makeup in the world that would hide the verbal abuse.   
Years passed, and you tried to keep in touch with Sam and Dean. But it was hard. They were busy with their own hunting careers, and you were at the beck and call of your parents. Never allowed to hunt, never allowed to leave whatever hell hole of a motel you were staying in. Always waiting for them to come back, just to be tormented one more. Soon, you began believing the things they told you. That you were ugly and useless. That you didn’t matter to anyone. That you would be better off being a monster’s lunch.   
Soon, you were just a shell of the girl that Sam and Dean had known. No longer caring about hiding the bruises, you would sit in the darkness of your motel room, dreading the day your parents would return. Sure, you were old enough that you could leave them, head out on your own. But they had beaten you down so much that you never believed you could succeed. Until the day they were supposed to come back from a hunt, and they didn’t.  
Days passed, and still they didn’t return. Finally, your phone rang, an unknown number flashing on the screen. Answering it, you couldn’t believe the voice on the other end of the line. “Dean?” You whispered, relieved to hear your friends voice after so long.  
“Y/N, I wish this was a social call. But have you heard from your parents?” He asked, and you could Sam talking in the background.  
“No. They were supposed to be back by now.” You explained, your voice calm and even.   
“Where are you? Sam and I can come over. The three of us can try to find them.” He offered, and for a minute you thought about turning him down. But if you didn’t try to save your parents, it would do nothing but piss them off, and you couldn’t handle that.  
Giving them the directions, you knew they would make it there in a couple of hours. Racing around the trashed room, you quickly began cleaning it, making sure it looked okay. Making your way into the bathroom, you hated the sight staring back at you. Gone was the girl who garnered looks from the men at bars. In her place was a shell, with dark circles under her eyes. Her clothes hung loosely on her body, which was no longer voluptuous and curvy.   
Knowing that Sam and Dean would probably notice right away, you spent the next hour taking a shower, wincing at the bruises that still covered your wrists and stomach. You then covered yourself in makeup, making sure to cover the dark circles and bruises that were showing from the neckline of your shirt.  
By the time you were finished, there was a brisk knock on your door. Opening it up, you couldn’t believe who was standing in front of you. Sure, Sam and Dean had always been handsome, even when they had been gangly teenagers. But they were no longer gangly. Both had grown into handsome men. Dean with his spiky sandy hair and his piercing green eyes. Sam, with his shaggy brown hair and those kaleidoscope eyes that were so kind.  
“Sam? Dean?” You asked, as they towered over you. Your answer was a huge hug as Dean pulled you against his firm chest. It was like coming home. Sam and Dean had always been there for you when no one else had been, and you had missed them more than you had imagined.  
“Damn it’s good to see you.” Sam said, pushing Dean out of the way so he could squeeze you tight. Trying to ignore the pain of your ribs from your latest present from your dad, you smiled up at them.  
“I’ve missed you guys so much!” You exclaimed, stepping back to let them into the room, seeing the shiny black Impala behind them. “And that car. I’ve missed that car.”  
“She’s a beaut. Isn’t she?” Dean said proudly before sitting down at the table. “So, Y/N, I’m sorry we couldn’t meet again under better circumstances.”  
“Y/N, we know this must be hard. But we’ve already been in contact with Bobby, and we think we know where your parents are.” Sam started off quickly.  
“So far it seems like they’re okay. We should be able to go in, and save them easily.” Dean continued, grasping your hand and you jumped at the contact. It had been so long since someone had touched you nicely that you forgot what it felt like. If Dean noticed your jump, he didn’t mention it. He continued talking, describing the hunt as if you were used to that sort of thing.  
“So, between the three of us, we should have no problem against a couple of vamps.” He finished off, and you stared at him blankly. “Y/N? You still hunt, don’t you?”  
Shaking your head, you stared down at your lap, ready for them to yell at you. “Not since we split up.” You explained.   
“So what? You stay behind and do research?” Sam asked you, and you shrugged.  
“Something like that.” You answered.   
“Well, don’t worry. Sam and I will keep you safe. We can leave your car here, travel all together in the Impala. I know you miss her.” Dean winked at you.  
“Sounds great. And we don’t have to worry about my car. I don’t have one.” You told them, watching as Dean’s eyes widened.  
“So, your parents leave you behind, but without a car?” Sam questioned, and you nodded. Before they could question you any further, you stood up, grabbing your bag from where it lay on the dresser.   
“Let’s go.” You told them. Missing the glances they shared with each other, you stepped out into the rain, ready to leave this motel room behind.  
Soon, you were sitting in the back seat of the Impala, listening to Sam and Dean argue just as much as they had when they were teenagers. Dean still had the same taste in music, and you found yourself singing along, smiling for the first time in a long time.  
Stopping at a gas station, Dean handed you some cash. “Go get us some snacks sweetheart. Whatever you want. Sam will take whatever fruit, and I’m craving some jerky.” Dean insisted, and you walked inside, glancing around the store uneasily. Quickly making your selections, you hurried outside, just to hear the end of the conversation.  
“Sam, I know that. But just look at her! That’s not the Y/N that we both knew and loved. She looks beaten and down, and I would bet her…” Dean stopped suddenly, noticing you. “Did you get what you needed?” He asked you, changing the subject immediately.   
Nodding, you slid into the backseat, pulling your long sleeve flannel farther down, making sure to hide the bruises on your skin. Because the second that Sam and Dean realized that your parents were beating you, there would be hell to pay. And you weren’t sure you would stop them.


	2. Chapter 2

With your legs tucked underneath you, you continued to stare out the window of the Impala, watching as trees and buildings sped past you, nothing but a blur. Your mind a million miles away as you thought about what lay ahead. If your parents were still alive, and whether you cared if they were dead.  
Truthfully, that part of you was numb. Your parents had treated you so horribly, that you weren’t sure if you wanted them back or not. Sure, they were your parents, and you should love them no matter what. But this might be the break you were looking for. Feeling horrible for thinking that way, you quickly brushed away a spare tear, amazed that even after everything you had gone through you could still cry.  
“You okay back there Y/N?” Dean asked in the falling darkness, and you nodded. You knew he couldn’t see your tear, but he might hear the break in your voice if you tried answering. “Well, we’re almost to another town. We can stop there for the night, start again in the morning. I think everyone could use a good night’s sleep.”  
“Sounds good.” You whispered, keeping your voice calm.   
“Then maybe we can order pizza. I’ve got a six pack in the cooler. We can relax and reminisce about old times.” He continued, and you gave him a small smile. It sounded fun, it really did. But your past five plus years without them had been nothing close to interesting.  
“Oh, and we might have a friend stop by.” Sam spoke up.  
“A friend?” You questioned, your anxiety picking up a little. You weren’t used to be around so many people. Your parents had left you pretty much on your own, so being around more than just Sam and Dean was a little nerve wracking.  
“He’s funny. I won’t tell you more until you meet him.” Was all Dean said as the city lights came into view. Watching as you pulled into another small town, in front of another run down motel room.  
“One room? Or two?” Sam asked as he slowly stood up from the car, stretching his long legs.   
A part of you to say yes. To fall in to your own routine of spending the nights with Sam and Dean. Staying up late, eating junk food and trading stories. It had been the best part of your pitiful life, and you wanted to return to that in the worst way possible. A life that you had never dreamed of happening once again. Actually, a part of you was amazed that you were still alive, that your parents hadn’t finished you off by now.   
“I’d like my own room please.” You said softly, missing the unspoken comment from the brothers over your head.   
“Okay. We can do that.” Sam said softly, before making his way to the lobby.  
Reaching for your bag, Dean grasped your wrist, and you tensed up immediately. Sure, your heart knew that Dean wasn’t one to beat you, but you were so ingrained to fear any touch that it was habit by now.  
“Damn it Y/N.” Dean muttered, and you glanced down to see the sleeve of your flannel had ridden up, showing the fingerprint bruises on your wrist.   
“Dean…” You started, ready to apologize.  
“Got it!” Sam exclaimed, coming back with two keys in his hand, breaking up the tense moment between you and Dean. Grateful, you reached down, grabbing your bag from the trunk before hurrying to Sam’s side.   
Raising an eyebrow at you, Dean let the moment pass, but you knew he wouldn’t forget about it. Grabbing your key from Sam, you made your way to your room. “Meet in our room, say in fifteen minutes?” Dean yelled from behind you.  
Giving him a thumbs up, you opened the door to your room, stepping inside and locking it behind you. With a sigh, you placed your bag on the table, heading into the bathroom. Staring at yourself in the mirror, you could see a little color coming back into your cheeks. Not much, but enough to show that you had been out in the sun, actually laughing and living a little.   
After rinsing your face in the sink, you gradually made your way back into your room, shrieking when you saw a strange man standing there, staring out the window. “Y/N, I presume.” He said in a gravelly voice, turning and staring your way with piercing blue eyes.  
“And you are?” You questioned, your only weapon, a knife, hidden in the pocket of your bag, far from your grasp.   
“Castiel. Didn’t Sam and Dean tell you I was coming?” He asked, still looking at you as if he could read deep into your soul.  
Relaxing a little bit, you nodded. “They said something about a friend. I just expected you to show up in their room. Not mine.”  
“Apologies.” He answered, taking a step forward, but he was still unknown, and you quickly took a step backwards. “As an Angel, I sometimes forget that humans can be a little skittish.” He conversed, as if he was talking about the baseball game. Not the fact that he was an Angel.  
“You’re an angel?” You breathed out, and he nodded.  
“Yes. But Y/N, I am so sorry to hear what you’ve been through. Nobody should have to go through the horror you’ve had to endure. I can still sense hope and forgiveness in you. You are a strong woman.” He told you, and you just stared at him as a knock sounded on your door.  
“Y/N, are you okay in there?” Dean called out. “We thought we heard a commotion.”  
“Yeah, I just met your friend!” You called back before looking at Castiel. “I know we don’t really know each other. And I don’t know how you know that much about me. But can you please keep it to yourself for now? I really don’t want Sam and Dean finding out!”  
“They want to help you. I know Dean’s been missing you for a long time. But I will keep it a secret for now.” He agreed, right before you opened the door.   
“Pizzas here.” Dean exclaimed, holding a couple of steaming boxes in his hands. “Cas, man it’s good to see you!” Dean patted his friend on the shoulder before the three of you made your way to the brother’s room.  
“Hey Y/N, I see you’ve met Cas. Sorry we didn’t warn you, but he’s a little awkward.” Sam said from his spot at the table, his laptop in front of him.   
“I guess that’s what being an Angel does to you.” You blurted out, a shy smile on your face when Dean threw his head back and started laughing heartily.  
“Damn Y/N, I’ve missed you.” He told you once he had calmed down a little. His forest green eyes stared at you, full of an emotion you weren’t ready to think about yet.   
“I’ve missed you guys too. And this.” You answered, swinging your arm around the room. “Being with you guys. I missed that so much.”  
“Well, we’re together now.” Dean replied, sliding his arm over your shoulder, and you had to control the shiver that went through you. “And we’re going to make sure it stays that way. I’m sure your parents won’t mind.”


	3. Chapter 3

Sitting there, forcing yourself to smile and laugh as Dean tossed joke after joke, you tried to keep your mind from wandering. It was hard getting used to the fact that you were able to laugh freely, able to move about the room without fear of being beaten.   
Sitting at the edge of the bed, you had tensed up when Dean sat down next to you, handing you a beer bottle. “Y/N, are you sure everything’s okay?” He asked, realizing the way you had automatically pulled away from him, wincing as you waited for his hand to land on you. It was a nervous habit that you couldn’t control, even when you knew Dean wasn’t going to strike you.  
“I’m great. Better than I’ve been in a long time.” You assured him, taking a long drink of beer.   
“If there was something bothering you, you would tell us, right?” Dean asked softly, making sure his words wouldn’t carry to where Sam and Cas were busy talking at the table. “I know you’re parents weren’t always the best when we were together, and…”  
“Dean, I would let you know.” You lied to him. But you couldn’t stand the chance that you would see nothing but pity on his face once he found out how you’ve been treated. And the fact that you could’ve left, but were too scared to. “I promise.”   
His sage colored eyes searched your own, reading you much more than you were comfortable with. After a moment, he reached over, grasping your hand. “Just remember I’m here if you want to talk. I’m sorry I didn’t’ work harder to keep in touch. You’re just as much family as Sam, and you deserved more than that.”  
Close to tears, you leaned into his shoulder, forcing yourself to stay calm as his arm wrapped around your shoulders. Pulling you close, the two of you stayed that way, listening to Sam and Cas argue about the upcoming rescue mission.  
"Sam, we’ve already talked about this. I can at least head over there, see what’s going on so we have an idea of what we’re dealing with.” Cas was saying.  
Sam shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. We’re not sure what we’re even dealing with here. They’ve already taken down two veteran hunters, we can’t afford to lose you too.”   
“I agree with Sam.” You spoke up, surprising everyone, including yourself. “I think we should all go, together.”  
“Y/N and Sam are right.” Dean agreed. “We need to work together on this. We can’t afford to lose you man.”  
Still not happy, but overpowered, Cas crossed his arms, staying silent. That was when Sam noticed how close you were sitting with Dean, raising an eyebrow at the two of you. Blushing, you sat up, away from Dean, who glanced at you questioningly. “I think it’s time for me to call it a night.” You announced suddenly, standing up.  
While you had had fun being with your old friends, it was almost too much to handle all at once. Feeling a little overwhelmed, you grabbed your room key, heading straight for the door. “Y/N, wait!” Dean exclaimed, but you already had the door opened. Stepping out into the cool night air, you took a deep gulping breath, trying to relax. With shaky hands, you tried to slide your card into the slot, tears escaping your eyes as you grew more and more frustrated.  
“Whoa, Y/N, calm down. Whatever it is, we can work it out.” Dean’s voice came from behind you, just as his arm reached out, grasping yours. Freezing, you dropped the keycard, and your head, waiting for the inivitible to happen. You were so far out of your comfort zone that you couldn’t remember that this was Dean, your Dean. And he would never lay a hand on you. That thought was lost in your frantic mind as you could only think of what a hand usually did when it was laid upon your skin.  
As if your skin was fire, Dean let go, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender. “Y/N, please. You’re scaring the crap out of me. And you know how hard it is for me to admit that.”  
“Dean, I’m sorry. I can’t.” You sobbed, moving to lean down and get your key, but Dean beat you to it. Holding it between his fingers, he held it out to you.   
“Please Y/N. I just want to help you.” He pleaded, staring up into your tear soaked eyes.   
“Nobody can help me.” You whispered, reaching to take the key from his hand. With a shake of his head, he reached down, unlocking the door for you.   
“Here. And I’m just next door if you decide to change your mind.” He told you as you raced into the room. Reaching for the door, you saw him still standing there, as you shut it in his face.   
Emotionally exhausted, you collapsed onto your bed, the tears falling once again. Tears for the life you could have had. You had always held a flame for Dean, but a long time ago your parents had found out, forcing you away from him. It had never truly been a misunderstanding between them and John. It had been because they found out you were going to tell Dean how you felt. They had become extremely angry, and to this day you still weren’t sure why. But from that day forward, your life had changed. That was the first day they had raised a hand to you, when you had finally decided to stand up for yourself. You hadn’t wanted to leave Sam and Dean behind, especially Dean. Fighting them, you had pleaded to stay. And because of that you had ended up with two broken ribs, a black eye, and handcuffed in the back of their car. Never saying bye to the two men who meant so much to you.   
Time had passed, and while you had still loved Dean from afar, the two of you had slowly grown apart. It had been hard, harder for you than for Dean. Your memories of your time spent with Dean were what kept you going through the dark times with your parents. As they lashed out, taking out their drunken aggression on you, you would close your eyes, remembering a happier moment with Dean. Like the time he had borrowed his Dad’s Impala, the two of you sneaking out of Bobby’s house in the middle of the night for a cruise. That had been one of your favorite memories, and without it you might have turned insane by now.   
Slowly, your tears subsided, and you just lay there, cuddling your pillow. You could still hear the sounds of the three men moving around the room, their voices nothing more but hushed whispers. Knowing they were right there, just a yell away if you needed anything was a comfort. Sure, you might have become overwhelmed, rushing out of there, but that didn’t mean you didn’t like having them ten feet away.   
Not knowing what tomorrow meant, you hoped it wouldn’t mean the end of your relationship with Dean. Hoping that somehow you could get past this shell of your former self to get close to him once again. Hoping that your parents wouldn’t force you to choose, or make the choice for you once again.


	4. Chapter 4

“Y/N? You awake? It’s time to hit the road!” Dean’s voice rang out through the motel’s thin wooden door, and with a groan you rolled over, wanting to press the pillow to your head and sleep for another hour or so. Sleep had been hard to come by last night, and it hadn’t been until almost 2 o’clock that you had finally nodded off.  
“Give me ten!” You yelled back, moaning as you forced yourself to sit up. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you stood up, planning on heading to the bathroom, when a loud, insistent knock sounded on your door again.  
“Y/N, sweetie, open the door!” Dean pleaded with you. Knowing you probably looked a sight, you brushed your hair back, before unlocking the door.   
“Dean, if you want to get going you need to give me a couple of minutes. Alone.” You muttered, when a steaming cup of coffee was shoved in your face, along with a muffin.  
“Sure, you haven’t changed that much.” He said quickly. “You always were grumpy in the morning, and I thought this might perk you up a little.”  
Grabbing the breakfast items, you glanced down at them in surprise. It had been so long since somebody had done something nice for you, just because they could. You weren’t sure how to handle it. A part of you was waiting for the other shoe to drop. For Dean to want something, or expect something in return. “Get dressed. We leave in ten.” Was all he said before shutting the door.   
Taking a sip of the scalding liquid, you sat it down before quickly getting ready for a day on the road. You weren’t sure what to expect. Not knowing if you would be seeing your parents by the end of the day, or if it would take longer than that. Feeling horrible, you wanted nothing more than to spend a couple more days in the presence of Dean before you had to deal with your parents once again. Because you knew for a fact that once you were with your parents you wouldn’t be able to see Dean, or Sam, again.  
Slipping on another long-sleeved t-shirt to cover the hideous bruises covering your wrists, you tied your boots before making sure everything was back in your bag. Taking a bite of the muffin, you stepped out of the room, seeing the three men were already waiting by the Impala, sipping their own cups of coffee. “There she is!” Dean exclaimed, giving you one of his megawatt smiles. Feeling nervous and unsettled, you ducked your head, your hair covering the blush on your face. Sam took the bag from you, tossing it into the back as you slid into the backseat next to Cas. As Sam and Dean slid into the front seat, your sleeves bunched up, and before you could pull them back down, Cas was grabbing your wrist, looking at the bruises.  
“Y/N, I can heal them.” He told you, and Dean’s head jerked to the side, his eyes widening at the sight of the deep bruises covering your wrists.  
“It’s not a big deal.” You answered softly, but you could see it was a huge deal in Dean’s eyes.  
“Where did you get them?” He asked you, his eyes unwavering.  
“It’s not a big deal.” You said again, pulling your shirt down, and trying to turn the attention away from your bruises. It was one pair in an extensive line of bruises. Not the worst you’ve had by a long shot. “How long until we’re there?”  
“About five hours. But Y/N, please. Tell me.” Dean pleaded, but you just shook your head at him. You weren’t ready to tell him. Not yet. You weren’t ready to see the pity in his eyes. And if he knew, then he might not rescue your parents, and no matter how horrible they were to you, they didn’t deserve to die by a Monster’s hands.  
Sighing, Cas reached up, pressing his fingers to your forehead. A warm, tingling sensation filled your entire being, healing all the minor aches and pains you had forgotten about, along with the bruises on your wrists. “There. That’s better. But Y/N, you need to tell Dean.” He finished softly, but you just slightly shook your head.   
With a frown upon his face, Dean started the Impala, peeling out of the parking lot in frustration. With the radio blaring, conversation was out of the question, but you didn’t mind. With no chance of conversation, that meant less of a chance of Dean finding out about your sham of a life.  
Hours passed, and you continuously stared out the window, ignoring the heated glances Dean continued to throw your way. Sam had his head in a book, while Cas sat there, his hands folded in his lap. Before you knew it, Dean was pulling off the road, up to the gas pump. Needing to stretch your legs, you made your way to the bathroom in the back of the station. Quickly taking care of business, you began perusing the isles of the convenience store, surprised at the number of snacks provided. It wasn’t often that you went shopping for yourself, and it was like a whole new world since you were a teenager.   
“Sam, I’m telling you, something’s not right.” You could hear Dean’s voice on the next isle over, and you froze. Just seeing the top of Sam’s hair, you knew you were hidden from sight, but if you moved they might see you.   
“Dean, I agree. But until Y/N feels comfortable enough to open up, we can’t do anything.” Sam answered softly.   
“Her parents were always weird, and I never trusted them. But what if they did something to her? She isn’t the same sassy girl that I fell in love with all those years ago.” Dean told his brother, his voice full of emotion.   
“Then you’ll be there for her, when she needs it. But anger is not what she needs. Hell, it would probably push her away the fastest. I just don’t know if we should let her go back with her parents.” Sam told his brother. But you were still caught on the fact that Dean had just admitted he had been in love with you a long time ago. If it hadn’t been for your parents, the two of you might be married by now.   
Sneaking back the way you came, you found a different way to the front of the store, meeting Dean at the same time. “There you are!” He exclaimed, a couple of bags in his hands. “This is for you.” He handed you a bag as you made your way back to the car.  
Glancing inside, you saw all your old favorite junk food. Everything that you would buy when the three of you would go shopping with Bobby. “You remembered?” You whispered, picking up your favorite bar, and carefully opening it.  
“You were my best friend, of course I would remember what you liked. I just hope your taste buds haven’t changed too much.” He said as Sam came out of the store behind you.  
“Nope. This is perfect.” You told him, but you couldn’t miss the concern that was still clouding those mossy green eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

It was only midafternoon when the town your parents were being held in came into view. It was a welcome relief, but at the same time you weren’t ready. You didn’t want to go back to the way life had been before they had been captured by monsters. You didn’t want to be under their thumb once again. Being beaten and tormented by people who should love you.   
“So, I’m thinking we get a room, regroup and figure out our plan.” Dean started saying. “We have no idea what we’re going up against.”  
Everyone agreed with Dean’s logic. Sure, you knew your parents were being held, by some sort of monster, but until you had an idea what it was, and where, you were in no shape to take it on. You agreed for another reason. You wanted to delay the inevitable as much as possible.   
It wasn’t until you were safely in your own room, with the boys in the one next door that you let yourself feel. This trip, one that had awoken feelings buried under so much pain and suffering, was coming to an end. Soon, you would be back under the thumbs of your parents, if they were still alive, and you weren’t sure if you could take that again. A part of you, a big part, wished that the monster did what you had been too scared to do.   
“Y/N, can we talk?” Dean said, as he knocked on your door. Knowing that he would bring up the bruises earlier, you considered pretending you were in the shower, anything to put off the confrontation with Dean. “Y/N, answer the door, please!”   
With a sigh, you opened the door, and he pushed inside, a beer bottle in both his hands. Handing one to you, he sat down at the table, making himself at home. But even though he seemed calm and casual, you could sense the tenseness in him. “What’s up Dean?” You asked him, hoping he would get right to the point.  
“Why don’t you tell me? He asked, the bottle sitting forgotten in front of him. “You don’t seem that invested in getting your parents back. On top of that, you’re a shell of the wonderful, smart ass girl I knew a long time ago. Please, tell me what’s going on!”   
“Dean, I…” You started, trying to think of another excuse, another way to push Dean away from the truth.  
“Damn it Y/N!” He yelled, standing up and taking a step towards you. Unable to help it, you flinched, taking a step back, your knees buckling as they caught the edge of the bed, knocking you on your butt. “Y/N, I never would hurt you, you have to know that.” He assured you, his voice soft, his hands up in surrender. “Please, I just want to help you.”  
With tears in your eyes, you shook your head emphatically, knowing that the second you told him, his attitude towards you would change. The look in his mossy green eyes would turn to pity, and you couldn’t handle that. “Dean, it’s too hard. I don’t know where to start.”  
Carefully walking towards you, he sat down next to you, making sure that he didn’t jostle or scare you too much. “Start at the beginning. Why your parents forced you to leave so quickly. Start talking, and don’t stop. I won’t judge. I just want to help you.”  
Taking a deep breath, you started. Telling him how you felt about him when you were a teenager, when your parents found out. You told him how they had started drinking profusely, turning anger and that anger being used against you. As you talked, he stayed silent, his hands clenched at his sides. When you told him about the beatings, all the times you couldn’t leave the bed for days at a time, he stood up, pacing the room.  
“And you stayed?” He finally spoke up, his eyes red, tears threatening to fall.   
“I didn’t know what else to do.” You whispered, knowing how stupid that sounded. You had considered running many times, but in the end, you had no idea what to do. “You were trying to find your Dad, then I didn’t hear from you again. Everyone from my old life was gone, and I just felt alone. And my parents were good brainwashers, often convincing me that I deserved it all.”  
With a cry, he was kneeling in front of you, his hands grasping yours. “I’m so freaking sorry I wasn’t there for you. That I stepped back, when I should have been moving closer to you, making sure you were okay.”   
“Dean, it’s not your fault.” You tried telling him, but he wasn’t having any of it.  
“No, it’s your parents fault. And when I get my hands on them. They’ll wish that the monster had killed them to begin with.” He growled, exactly as you had known he would.  
Before you could tell him, you didn’t want their Death on his conscious, there was a pounding on the door, Sam’s voice rang out. “Dean, we’ve found them!”  
“This isn’t finished.” He insisted, squeezing your hand. “But don’t worry. Your parents will never touch you again. I’ll make sure of that.”  
Opening the door, he stepped out to talk to Sam, as you tried to calm down. Talking to Dean had been so much easier than you had imagined, and you felt better for it.  
“Y/N.” Dean started, coming back into the room. “We’re going to make our move soon. But do me a favor, please. Stay here.”  
“No.” You told him, surprising both him and you. “I need to be there, to face my parents, even if they aren’t alive anymore.”  
“Y/N, I…” Dean started arguing, but you stood up, making your way towards him. “Please, I need this.”  
Sighing, Dean pulled you to him, holding you tight in an embrace. “Fine. But you stay by my side the entire time. Then, once this is all over with, you and I are going to have a talk. Because I don’t want to let you go again.”  
“I’ll agree to that.” You answered.


	6. Chapter 6

“So, everything pointed to Vampires, but the more I’ve researched, the more I’ve come to realize that might not be the case.” Sam said as you sat nervously in the back of the Impala. Cas was sitting next to you, staring at your knee that wouldn’t stop bouncing. You were a bundle of nerves. Nervous about the hunt that was your first in years. Scared at seeing your parents again for the first time in a couple of weeks. Wondering how they were going to react when they found you traveling with Sam and Dean.   
“I believe it might be two types of monsters working together.” Cas answered, reaching over and placing his hand on your knee. The weight from his hand, along with the positive energy he sent your way calmed you enough that your body stilled.  
“Well, whatever it is, it was strong enough to overtake two seasoned hunters.” Dean grumbled as he drove down the deserted country road. Old, empty farmhouses stood off to the side, the paint peeling and the windows cracked. Each mile brought you closer to your parents, whether they be alive or dead, and you weren’t sure if you were ready for that confrontation yet.  
“So, do we even have a plan?” You asked, trying to take your mind off the turmoil controlling your emotions.   
“Nope.” Dean smiled at you, trying to calm you down. “Actually, I was thinking we could split up. Y/N could go in with me, through the front door. Sam and Dean would take the side or back doors, depending on the place.”  
“Are you sure bringing Y/N in is such a clever idea? They might try to use her to an advantage.” Sam asked, but Dean nodded.  
“Y/N deserves to be there as much as we do. They’re her parents, no matter what they’ve done.” Dean growled, and Sam glanced between the two of you, his eyes wide. He was the only one who didn’t know all the details of your horrendous life.  
“I’m glad the two of you talked.” Cas leaned over and whispered in your ear. “I told you Dean wouldn’t blame you for your parent’s meanness.”  
“Y/N, I don’t know what you’ve gone through. And I don’t need you to tell me if you don’t feel comfortable. But I just want you to know that we will be there for you. All of us. And we wouldn’t think anything less of you if you decided to stay behind for this one.”  
Reaching up to the front seat, you clasped Sam’s shoulder. “I will tell you. Maybe not right now, but you deserve to know what’s going on. But it’s hard for me to talk about just yet, but I will, I promise. I do need to do this.”  
Suddenly, Dean was pulling off to the side, kicking up gravel as he slowed to a stop. Parking next to an overgrown wheat field, you could barely make out the old, clapboard house farther on. “That’s it. Where your parents were being held.”  
Taking a deep breath, you nodded as Dean handed you a box. “What’s this?” You asked him, seeing the faded wrapping paper and frayed ribbon.  
“It was your birthday present. But you left a week before your birthday, and I never had the chance to give it to you.” He explained. “Now, seemed like an appropriate time.”  
Ripping the fragile paper, you opened the box to see a gun, very similar to Dean’s laying inside. With a mother of pearl handle, it was beautiful, even for having sat unused for so long. “It was made by the same person who made mine. I know it’s been sitting for a while, but she’s a good gun, and will still work.”  
“Dean, it’s beautiful.” You whispered, pulling it out of its box, the weight comfortable in your hands.   
“There’s an inscription.” He continued. Turning it over in your hand, you could see the small print. “I will always be by your side. D.W.”   
“Dean, thank you so much.” You told him, tears forming in your eyes.  
“I know the words weren’t true. Not back then. I let you go when I never should have. But we have a second chance, and I’m going to do everything in my power to prove those words true. If you’ll let me.”   
“I…” You started, wanting to say yes, but knowing that what was in that house would forge your answer.   
“You don’t have to answer now.” He said quickly. “But please. Just think about it.”  
Nodding, you took the clip he handed you, loading it into your gun as you waited for Sam and Cas to join the two of you. As Sam and Dean went over the plan once again, Cas came to stand next to you. “Y/N, I know this can’t be comfortable for you.”  
“No, it’s not. My parents are in there, and I feel like I should be more worried for them. I should care if they are alive or not. But I don’t. Cas, they’ve put me through so much, they’ve turned me into a person whose afraid of her own shadow. Is it bad that a part of me wishes they were dead?”  
“Y/N, of course it’s not bad!” Cas assured you. “They might be your parents, but they’ve treated you horribly. But what are your plans when this is taken care of? Are you going to return with them?”   
“I don’t want to.” You answered softly. “I don’t want to return to that life again. I would rather die first. But I don’t know how to tell them no. They’ve hurt me so much, I’m terrified of them.”  
“Dean will help you. He will support you no matter what. But I don’t think he would let you go back to your parents. He would kill them first.”  
“Damn straight I would.” He said from behind you, making you jump. “If those monsters haven’t killed your parents, they’re going to wish they had. They can’t get away for what they’ve done to you.”  
“Dean, please.” You said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t want any more bloodshed. Let’s take care of the monsters, and leave. I don’t want that on your conscious.”  
“We’ll see.” Was all he answered, as the four of your turned to stare at the house off in the distance. In there was your future, an end to your past. One you were ready to be rid of, even if you weren’t exactly sure how to do it.   
As you stood there, nervously nibbling on your lip, you felt the callused hand of Dean reach over, grasping your hand. Squeezing it gently, he told you what you needed to hear without saying a word. Giving you the comfort and the strength you needed to face what was in front of you.


	7. Chapter 7

Both you and Dean stood there, watching as Sam and Cas carefully made their way through the overgrown fields, making sure not to be seen by the inhabitants inside. Giving them a couple of moments to make their way around the house, so you could all head in around the same time.   
Reaching over, Dean cupped your face, surprising both of you it seemed. “Y/N, please stick beside me. I know we’ve already talked about this. But I’ve finally gotten you back in my life, I don’t want one of those monsters to take you from me.”  
“Dean, don’t worry. I just want to get my parents out of there, and then worry about the future. Those monsters won’t be able to get near me.” You assured him, just as you saw the signal from Sam before they disappeared around the house.  
Taking a deep breath, you and Dean took a little different route around the house. Through the overgrowth surround the falling apart fence, up to the porch with its broken steps. The windows on this part of the house were boarded up, barely a square inch to look out of. It gave you an advantage, even with the little squeak of the rotting wood.  
With his back to the door, Dean had his gun up, winking at you before he counted to three. As he mouthed the word three, he rammed against the door, knocking in the door easily. With his gun out, he raced inside, and you hurried to keep up with him.   
The inside of the house was dark and hazy, smelling moldy and musty. It was hard to see inside, and by the time your eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness, Dean was grabbing your hand, pulling you along. The front room was empty, save for a broken couch and a busted lamp. Making his way towards the door, he whispered in your ear. “They have to know we’re here. That was too loud for them not too.”  
Nodding, you stayed behind him as he headed into the main hall. You could hear a fight towards the back and you pointed Dean that way. Racing into the back room, you almost ran into Dean’s back when he stopped immediately. Standing on your tiptoes, you peered around his shoulder, gasping at what you saw.  
Sam and Cas were over taken with Vampires, at least five of them. Cas was using his angel mojo to take care of his, but with two large vamps, Sam was struggling. “Dean, you help them. I’ll keep searching for my parents.” You suggested, even though your heart hammered at the thought.  
“Y/N, no.” Dean muttered, but his attention was on his brother. With a deep breath, you pushed him into the room, before taking off down the hall. With your new gun in front of you, you slowed to a walk, keeping close to the wall. Checking each room you passed, you were worried when each one came up empty.   
Finally standing in front of the basement door, you knew you should wait for Dean. But you could still hear the sound of the fight behind you, and you didn’t want to be the scared little girl hiding behind the man. With a deep breath, you pushed open the door, automatically getting met by a pair of hands. Grabbing you and pulling you down the rickety wooden stairs, you fell the last couple, wincing as your ankle gave way.   
“Finally. I was wondering when the rescue crew would make their way here.” A familiar voice said before you were roughly kicked in the stomach. Glancing up into your Dad’s eyes, you saw him smiling widely as his foot arched backwards before kicking you again.   
“Dad?” You muttered, wheezing hard from the pain.   
“Hey sweetie.” He answered, before leaning down and grabbing you by your hair. Wincing and trying to scratch him, he shoved you into a chair. That’s when you noticed your Mom standing off to the side.   
“What are you guys doing? We’re here to save you?” You breathed out, as your Mom came forward, slapping you hard across the mouth.  
“We knew you would be. That’s why we took extra precautions. Those Vamps were so eager to work for a couple of Demons.” Your Mom answered, both of their eyes flashing black. It was then you saw the bodies lying on the floor. The Demons must have smoked out of their previous meat suits, using your parents instead. “And your parents are the perfect meat suits for us. Hell, they’re enjoying all the pain and suffering we’ve inflicted upon people so far.”  
“Leave them alone.” You muttered, standing to your feet, but your Dad hit you hard on the cheek, knocking you back down.  
“Oh, I don’t’ think so. They are just perfect.” Your Mom, or the Demon inside your Mom answered.   
“I have friend with me. They’ll stop you.” You threatened, but both Demons just threw their heads back, laughing.  
“Oh, we have the perfect plan for that.” Your possessed Dad announced. “You.”  
“Me? I’m not going to help you.” You argued, but he grabbed your cheek roughly, forcing you to look at him.  
“I think you will. Otherwise we will call in our Demon friends, and within seconds your friends will be a bloody pile on the floor.”  
“No.” You muttered, watching as the smile widened on his face.  
“I think you will do it. Because according to your Dad’s memories, you really care for those people fighting the vamps up there. And you will probably do anything to protect them.” He said, before roughly shoving you back into the seat.  
“What do you want me to do?” You asked, because he was right. You couldn’t let anything happen to Dean, especially at the hands of your parents.  
“You’ll pretend that you killed those horrible demons.” Your Mom laughed. “We’ll pretend to be your parents, shocked and relieved that you were able to save us. Then, we will go on our separate ways, you with us. Letting us use you as we see fit. You’ll be our little slave.”  
“And my friends?” You asked.  
“Safe. We promise. We’ll leave them behind, and you’ll never see them again. But if you try to warn them, we will kill Dean, automatically.”  
“He’ll know somethings up if I just up and leave him.” You argued, your heart breaking at the thought of leaving Dean once again, knowing that it would break his heart as well.  
“Then you’ll just have to be convincing. Because if you’re not, everyone dies. Including him, and your parents.” The threatened, and you knew you had no choice but to go along with their demands.


	8. Chapter 8

“Y/N!” Dean exclaimed, right before you saw him racing down the stairs, a little blood at his lip, but nothing serious. It was hard, schooling your features so he didn’t notice anything was wrong. That you were literally trembling on the inside, knowing that going with your parents would definitely end up with you dead. But it was a better alternative than Dean, and Sam being hurt or killed.   
“Down here”! You exclaimed, as the Demon possessing your Dad came forward, whispering in your ear.   
“Remember. Play your part, and no one gets hurt. We’ll even let your parents go, even though they aren’t any better than us.”   
“Y/N, is everyone okay?” Dean asked, stopping at the bottom of the stairs, glancing around the room. Your “parents” were leaning against each other, great actors already. The two dead bodies were off to the side, and you stood in the middle, shaking slightly.  
“Yeah. It’s over.” You answered him, as he came forward, reaching forward to wrap his arm around you before thinking better with your parents right there. Instead he stood next to you, staring carefully at your parents.  
“Mr. and Mrs. Y/L/N, I’m so glad you are safe.” He said nicely, even though you could hear him gritting his teeth next to you.  
“Thanks to you, and our wonderful daughter.” The Demon played your father, and you saw Dean narrowing his eyes.   
“Let’s get out of here. Please.” You whispered to Dean, reaching down and taking his hand. If you were sending him off, you wanted some sort of contact before you would never see him again.   
Surprised at the contact, Dean’s eyes widened before he squeezed your hand, giving you the comfort you so desperately needed. Letting him lead you up the stairs, your parents followed, Sam and Cas standing outside already. Joining them, you stayed by Dean as your parents stood off to the side, where their car was still parked. Cas glanced over at them, his eyes widening for a moment, and you wondered if he could see the Demons lingering inside.  
Nervously nibbling on your lip, you saw your Dad narrowing his eyes at you, and you knew it was time to sever all bonds. Trying to keep the tears at bay, you pulled on Dean’s hand, and he glanced down at you, a big smile on his face. “We did it!” He exclaimed. “Now we can truly start all over once again.”  
“Dean, about that.” You started, carefully picking your words. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”  
“What do you mean?” He asked, his expression carefully guarded as he waited for you to continue.  
“Dean, the past couple of days have been amazing. For sure the best days since we were separated all those years ago. But it can’t last. It was fun, but it needs to end now.” You told him, breaking your own heart as well as his.   
“But Y/N it doesn’t. If this is about your parents, screw them!” He exclaimed, and you glanced back nervously to see your Dad stepping forward, a wicked glint in his eyes.   
“It’s not.” You assured him. “I just don’t see this thing between us going anywhere, and I’m going to give my parents a second chance. Dean, please, don’t fight this. It’s over. You’ll go your way, we’ll go our way.”  
With his jaw clenching, he reached up, cupping your cheeks. With words so soft you barely even heard him, he pressed his lips to your neck. “Y/N, promise you would tell me if you’re in some sort of trouble. We can work this out.”  
“Dean, I’m not in any trouble. It was fun while it lasted, but I’m done. I don’t feel that way for you anymore. I want to leave, to be gone from you, and from Sam.” You replied, hammering the final nail into the coffin of your relationship. You could see the words had their desired effect. Pulling back, Dean acted as if he had been shot. With a pale face, he frowned down at you.   
“Then I won’t keep you. Go, live with your parents who have always treated you like crap instead of having the type of life you deserved. Because we could have been happy Y/N. I hope you will always regret this.” He threatened, before turning and walking down the driveway to where the Impala was still parked. Sam glanced between you and his brother, before turning and following Dean, with Cas right behind.   
With their faces pointing the other direction, you finally let the tears fall, knowing you had just passed up your final chance at happiness. But you would do it over and over again if it assured that Dean was out of harm’s way.  
“That’s my girl.” Your Mom said, grabbing you roughly by the upper arm, pulling you behind her. “We’re going to have so much fun!”  
Shoving you into the back of their car, they climbed in the front, laughing maniacally. “What do you have plan?” You asked, as they gunned their car, traveling down the gravel driveway before peeling out onto the main road, past a surprised Dean. Staring out the window, you knew the exact moment he caught your tear stricken face. Cussing inwardly, you knew that part of your plan had just been foiled by your own emotions. Emotions that you had been so good at hiding until he had come roaring back into your life.   
“The usual things. Death, destruction. Oh, and the Death of those you hold dear.” Your father answered as he swerved in and out of traffic.  
“But you promised!” You exclaimed, watching as your Mom turned around, a huge smile on her face.  
“And when do you listen to a Demon. Really, I thought your parents would have taught you better. We’re going to use you as bait, and finally kill off Sam and Dean once and for all. And you will be to blame for it. Won’t it be lovely?”  
Struggling against the door, ready to jump out of the moving vehicle and take your chances, your Mom climbed over her seat, her hands reaching around your throat. It wouldn’t be the first time your Mom had laid hands on you, but this time she had much more strength behind it. Quickly your vision faded, and no matter how hard you fought, darkness slowly overtook you.


	9. Chapter 9

Feeling as if someone was hammering inside your head, you came to, your vision still blurry. No doubt from the concussion your Mom had given you, making you pass out in the car. Taking deep, steadying breaths, you waited a couple of moments for your vision to clear before taking stock of where you were.  
It was another faceless hotel, one that had seen much better days. It was even worse than the ones Sam and Dean usually frequented, or even the ones your parents used to stay at. The carpet was a deep, ugly brown, so many stains covering it they almost turned it black. The wallpaper was so grimy, you could hardly even make out the small flowers that used to cover it. The window had a crack, the blind’s hanging on by a thread. There was only one bed, it’s comforter a dingy gray, and you had a feeling it used to be white.   
The entire place smelled of mold and cigarettes, and you had to stop yourself from gagging at it. “The princess awakes.” Your Dad muttered as he came out of the bathroom, a smirk on his face. “Thought you were going to be lazy all day today.   
You were laying across the couch, the old vinyl sticking to your cheek. More than a little surprised to know they hadn’t handcuffed you, or tied you to the spot. “Where are we?” You muttered, your mouth feeling full of cotton.  
“None of your fucking concern.” He growled, smacking you across the mouth, drawing blood. Wincing in pain, you tried to pull yourself farther away from him. “I tell you, you’re going to tell those stupid Winchesters, and we are strong enough to kill the off quite yet.”  
“You’ll never be able to defeat the Winchesters.” You spat, watching as fury turned your Father’s face a mottled purple, before he raised his fist, slamming it down on you, giving you a black eye instantly.  
“Maybe we should just kill you now. It would be more fun.” He muttered, just as your Mom came into the room, looking extremely pleased with herself.   
“Honey, we can’t kill her yet. She’s bait for the Winchesters. Besides, I found out that she played her part all too well. The Winchester are long gone, no doubt having forgotten about her.” Your Mom said.  
“But how does that work into our plans?” He asked, looking confused. He wasn’t extremely bright, but you didn’t expect more from a Demon.   
“We give it time, then she will call them, plead for them to rescue her. The Winchesters can’t turn from a good plea.” Your Mom chuckled, before glancing down at you. Even with the black eye and bloody lip, you stared at her, ready for her next move.  
“Excellent job dear. Maybe if we give her a couple more bruises, make her a little battered it will be all the more convincing.”  
“My pleasure dear.” He answered, cracking his knuckles before grabbing you by your hair.   
________________________________

This time, waking up was so much harder. Sure, your head still pounded, but it joined all the other aches throughout your body. You were sure at least two ribs were broken, along with your arm. Your face was a mixture of cuts and bruises. After stepping on your leg, making sure that it was broken so you couldn’t move, your parents had left the motel room, assured that you wouldn’t be attempting to move anytime soon.  
Pulling yourself up with your good arm, you were saddened to see they had broken the room’s phone. With no other way to connect with Dean, unless you left this room, you lay back down on the couch, your body throbbing with agony. Tears welling up in your eyes, you did the only thing that came to mind. You prayed, to Cas, the only Angel you knew of. To a god you truly didn’t believe in. If there was actually a god out there, why did he let this happen to you? Groaning in agony, you moved your broken leg, almost passing out from the pain. “I have no idea if anyone out there is listening, or even if this truly works. But I need your help. Anyone’s help. Please.” You whispered, your voice breaking at the end.   
Staring wistfully at the door, you wished that you hadn’t gone with your parents. That you let Sam and Dean take care of them like you knew they could. But you hadn’t wanted to put Sam and Dean in danger, and you had done what you had deemed necessary at the time.  
“Y/N, what have they done to you?” A familiar voice said from the back of the room. Moving too fast, you groaned as your entire body flared up in pain.  
“Cas? What are you doing here?” You asked, the pain making you a little delusional. You hadn’t expected him to hear you.  
“I heard your prayer, and came as quickly as I could. Where are your parents? Why did you go with them?” He asked, striding over to you. Kneeling next to the couch, he reached forward, as to heal you, but with the last of your strength you reached up, stopping him.  
“Y/N, you’re in pain. Let me heal you.” He insisted, but you shook your head, a tear escaping.   
“No. You heal me, they’ll know I asked for help. I can’t have that.” You whispered, and with a frown he did as you asked.   
“Y/N, please tell me. I don’t understand why you left with your parents.” He asked again. “Dean hasn’t been the same since you parted, and won’t say anything.”  
“I hurt him Cas. Deeply. I know he’ll never forgive me. But that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is my parents plan.” You insisted, even though you knew you never would forgive yourself for the pain you had caused Dean. You wouldn’t even blame him if he didn’t want to come help you.  
“Your parents are Demons.” Cas stated. “I haven’t told Dean yet, because he was in such a foul mood leaving you. But have they always been Demons? I don’t sense any Demon blood in you.”  
“No, they were just mean to begin with. But the Demons holding them are now using them as meat suits, and they plan to use me to kill Sam and Dean.” You explained, talking quickly with no idea how long your parents will be gone.  
“Y/N, let me take you from here.” He pleaded, and you shook your head.  
“No. Let me deal with this. Just promise you’ll keep Sam and Dean as far away as possible. No matter what happens, don’t let them fall for my parent’s traps. I can handle the pain. I’ve done it before.” You said, feeling lightheaded from all the pain.  
“I do not like leaving you here. Like this. Please.” He pleaded once again, but you had made up your mind. You would stay, and continue the façade until you were sure Sam and Dean were safe. Then, you didn’t care what happened to you.  
“Cas, I’m used to this. It’s been my life for a long time. I just don’t want anything to happen to Sam and Dean.” You insisted. “Please, just tell them to stay far away, but nothing more.”  
“Fine, if you insist.” He answered, your pain reflecting in his eyes. “But let me do this for you.”  
Raising his hand up, he pressed it against your forehead before you could even blink. A warmth filled you, some of the pain leaving you before you succumbed to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Waking up, you could immediately tell your parents were back. There was the distinct smell of alcohol filling the room, along with the cheap, disgusting perfume your Mom had always worn. Without opening your eyes, you could hear the grunts and moans, and with a sense of dread, you knew exactly what was going on.  
“The bitch is awake.” Your Dad grunted, before you could hear skin slapping skin, and you wanted to do nothing more than retch. “Maybe we should have her join us. That would be fun.”  
“Ugh, I might be a Demon, but I ain’t into that. We’re in her parent’s you idiot.” Your Mom answered back, and for once you were grateful at something your Mom said.   
Keeping your eyes closed, you wished they would hurry up and get it over with. Trying anything to block out the sounds, it took you a moment to register that you weren’t as sore as before. Castiel had gone against your wishes, healing some of your major injuries. Hopefully, he hadn’t healed them all, otherwise you would have hell to pay from your parents.  
Hearing a high, screeching wail and a loud grunt, you knew they were done. Keeping your eyes closed, you could hear them shuffling around, putting clothes on before your Dad reached over, slapping you across the head. “Hey prude, you can open those eyes up now.”   
Peering carefully out of one eye, you could see your Mom still lounging in bed, a stupid, sated look on her face. Your Dad had gone to the fridge, pulling out a beer. With a sigh, you stood up to use the bathroom, carefully making a wide berth around your Dad who peered at you curiously. “Your moving well for a busted body. Maybe we didn’t work hard enough last time. We’ll have to try better today, won’t we honey?”  
“I can’t wait.” Your Mom answered from her spot on the bed. Racing past him, you shut the door to the bathroom, sighing in disappointment when you realized the lock on the door was broken. Searching around the small room, you saw a nice sized window in the corner, big enough for you to crawl through. Racing over, you tried to pry it open, beating your hand against it when you realized it had been painted shut.   
Almost in tears because you knew nothing but pain awaited you on the other side of the door, you sat down on the toilet, quickly doing your business. As you sat there, you noticed something shiny sticking out from underneath the vanity. Reaching down, you gasped in surprised when you pulled out the Winchester’s Demon killing knife. A note lay across it, and you quickly opened it, just as your Dad pounded on the door. “Hurry up in there, you useless bitch!”  
“Y/N, I hope you find this. Dean doesn’t know I gave it to you. Even though it pains me, I followed your wishes. He’s even more furious with you, but I can tell him, make him understand. Just pray to me, if anything changes.”  
Hugging the note to your chest, you sent a silent thank you to the air, before placing the note back under the vanity far enough they couldn’t find it. Nervously nibbling on your lip, you slid the knife into the back of your pants, hoping the handle wouldn’t be visible.   
Suddenly, the door flew open, and your Dad reached in, grabbing you by the hair and pulling you out. “Took too damn long in there.” He muttered, tossing you onto the ground. Wincing as the blade cut into the back of your thigh, you scrambled back, away from your Dad. “It’s time for fun.”  
Reaching down, he grabbed you by the hair again, slamming your head back into the wall, before bringing his knee up, kicking you in the ribs. Gasping in pain, you blindly reached behind you, as your Dad pulled out a knife of his own. With an evil smile on his face, he slashed downwards, the knife slicing through your shirt, and skin. Screeching in pain, you tried to move away, only for him to stomp on your freshly healed leg, breaking it once again. “Damn bitch, you are one strong piece of shit. Maybe we should have possessed you.”  
Taking the knife, he ran it along your cheek, as your Mother watched happily from the bed. As the white-hot pain raced through your system, your hand latched onto the handle of the blade. With a loud scream, you brought it up, slamming it into your father’s chest before he could even blink. Watching as he flashed orange, you pulled the blade from his lifeless body, pushing it until it fell to the ground.   
“You slut, what did you do?” Your Mom growled, but before she could even think, you were on her. Sure, your leg was on fire, blood pouring from your wounds, old and new, but you didn’t feel it. All you felt was the rage from so many years of being tortured. Of having to give up happiness with Dean time and time again. With a ferocious yell, you brought the blade down, slicing into her skin over and over again. Watching as her body flashed orange, you brought it down one more time, breathing hard.   
Pulling it from her lifeless body, you limped away, staring at the wreckage. There were huge piles of blood on the floor, both of your parents laying vacant and bloody. Feeling faint from pain and blood loss, you leaned against the wall for a moment, before opening the door and stepping out. Wobbling around the side of the motel, you made your way to the woods, grabbing a piece of wood to make a makeshift crutch.   
Sure, you knew you could pray to Cas, have him come and fix you up once again. But you weren’t sure what Dean’s reception would be, even when you told him the truth. Knowing you had probably burnt your bridge there, you knew you could make it on your own. Freeing yourself from your parents had been exactly what you needed, giving you the confidence boost to know that you could survive.   
Knowing you needed to find a hospital, you set off down the sidewalk, wondering what your future would hold.


	11. Chapter 11

Stumbling at last into the hospital, you almost collapsed on the floor, drawing notice from the nurses nearby. Rushing forward, they each placed an arm around you, drawing most of your weight away from you and upon themselves.

“Miss, what happened?” They asked, as a gurney was wheeled over, and you were helped on it.

“My parents. They attacked me…,” You sobbed. “They did this, and I couldn’t stop them…they…”

“Shh, sweetie, you’re with us. You’re safe.” The older nurse answered. “They can’t hurt you again.”

“No, they can’t.” You answered, the thought making you giddy. Rolling you down the hallway, they took you to a room, but the blood loss and pain made you weary, and soon you knew no more.

Floating in and out of consciousness, you kept seeing different faces peering above you, sometimes with those white masks on, other times you could have sworn you saw a familiar pair of blue eyes staring down at you. Each time you would head back under, the medicine they gave you making you extremely tired and out of it.

Sometimes you swore you saw Dean staring down at you, his mouth tight as he reached towards you, pulling back at the last second. Those, you decided, were just dreams brought on by blood loss and medicine. Dean couldn’t be there with you, he wouldn’t step within a hundred feet of you. You had hurt him, and hurt him deeply, and he wasn’t one to forgive and forget easily.

Not sure how much time passed, but one day your eyes stayed open, no longer fuzzy from the medicine. Your body was sore, but nothing that couldn’t be managed, and you knew that was still from the pain medication they probably had you on.

“She’s awake!” Your nurse, the one who had first talked to you when you walked into the hospital exclaimed, as she walked through the door. “How are you feeling?”

Your mouth felt as if it was full of cotton, your head fuzzy and heavy, but you felt better than you had, and you told her so. “That’s wonderful! We were worried about you for a while. You had lost so much blood. You were so weak, so pale, you even flatlined on us. But then, one morning, your entire body started responding as if you hadn’t lost that much blood. As if it was a miracle.”

Even with your foggy mind, you knew it was no miracle. You had seen Cas, even though you thought you had imagined it, and he must have come and healed you. If he had been here, maybe you hadn’t dreamt Dean after all. But you still didn’t think he would be here, especially after you had made Cas promise to not tell them.

“You’ve had some very impatient visitors while you’ve been out.” The nurse continued. “You lucky girl. Three very handsome men. How can you pick one?”

So, it was true. Dean had been here. Along with Sam. But where were they now? And why had he come? It wasn’t like you had been nice to him. As you sat there, lost in thought, the nurse bustled around, taking your vitals, talking all the time about the three men who had been in here with you. She kept talking about the handsome green-eyed man who refused to leave your side, until today that is.

As soon as she was gone, you prayed to Cas, needing him to show up and give you some answers. Almost immediately, he walked through the doors, but when you glanced around him, Dean was not to be seen. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up.” Cas apologized, coming to stand next to the side of the bed. “There were some issues to take care of.”

“I’m glad to see you.” You said truthfully. “But how did you even know I was here?”

“In your pain, you were delirious. Calling out for Dean, for me. It came out as a mumbled prayer, and I knew I needed to come immediately. I’m glad I did, you were almost gone from this world.” He answered.

“And Dean? What did you tell him?” You asked quietly.

Sighing, he sat down in the chair still placed at your side. “I know you asked me not to tell him anything. And I tried to keep your word, as much as I could. But Y/N, I was with him when I got your prayer, and he saw my concerned face. I had to tell him something!”

“What did you say?” You asked again.

Fidgeting with his trench coat, he took a minute to answer. “I really didn’t tell him that much. That you were in trouble, that you needed my help. I told him the rest of the story was up to you. Y/N, I know you think he’ll never forgive you, but you didn’t see the look on his face when he walked through those doors and say you laying there, hanging on by a thread.”

Just then the door opened, and both Sam and Dean walked into the room. Cups of coffee were in their hands, their eyes red rimmed from lack of sleep. Seeing you woken up, Dean came rushing towards the bed, before stopping in his tracks. “Y/N, you’re awake.” He stated, nervously licking his bottom lip.

“You two are a sight for sore eyes.” You chattered nervously, glancing between both men. Sam stayed back, watching his brother carefully.

“Y/N, why didn’t you say you needed help?” Dean blurted out, not even asking how you were doing.

“Cas, why don’t we go outside for a moment?” Sam suggested, grabbing the Angel’s coat and pulling him outside. Watching as they left you alone with Dean, you turned your attention back to him, your eyes wide as you tried to come up with the right words to say. To let him know that everything you had said back at that farmhouse were lies. That you still cared for him, and always would.

But you could see, by the set of his shoulders, and the way his jaw was clenched tight, that he was still upset with you, and he had every right to be. You weren't sure if you could get him to listen, and the thought broke your heart. Because no matter how much you had wanted to be the independent girl, all on her own, you knew that the real you wanted to be with Dean.


	12. Chapter 12

“Dean, I…” You started, the words catching in your throat. With a sigh, Dean started pacing the room, running his hands through his hair.   
“Y/N, just spit it out okay? Save us the trouble of having to tiptoe past each other. You made your choice, and now you have to live with it.” He yelled at you, and you flinched from the fury in his words. “You could have stayed with me, but you chose them, and the pain they continued to cause you. And I have no idea why.”   
“If that’s the way you feel, then why should I say something?” You whispered, hurting at the very core of your being. You hadn’t expected Dean to be so cold, so unwilling to listen to anything you had to say.   
“Maybe you shouldn’t. We came, you’re healed. Maybe we should just go our separate ways. Probably be for the best.” He grumbled, his face stony.   
Trying to keep the tears at bay, you watched as he stormed out of the room, leaving you alone and heartbroken. It was then you let the tears fall. Fat tears that turned into choked sobs as you couldn’t control the pain you were feeling. You had hoped that he would give you some sort of chance, but you had always known how Dean was. He was head strong and cautious, and didn’t open his heart up to just anyone. And you had taken that gift, thrown it right back in his face without much choice.  
So lost in your tears, you didn’t hear the door open, or the booted footsteps as Sam came to stand next to you. “Y/N, what did you say?” He asked softly, his hand resting on your shoulder. “Dean wouldn’t talk, and I haven’t seen him that upset since…well…since you said you were staying with your parents.”  
“He wouldn’t listen.” You sniffled. “I don’t blame him, but it still hurts. Sam, please look after him.”  
Pulling the chair over, Sam plopped down next to you. “Y/N, what do you mean? Aren’t you coming back with us?”  
Shaking your head, you couldn’t say the words. Couldn’t admit out loud how bad you messed things up. That the thing you wanted the most was never going to happen. “Y/N, whatever it is, we can work it out. Dean is stubborn, but give him time.”   
“No, this isn’t something that can be fixed.” You assured him. “I know he’s probably ready to go by now.”  
“I’ll go talk to him, make him wait.” Sam started, but you shook your head. Reaching over to the nightstand, you grabbed the stationary that sat there.   
“Wait, please.” You asked Sam, writing quick. Telling Dean exactly why you did what you did, and how things had ended. Telling him everything that he didn’t want to listen to. With tear drops staining the paper, you admitted your love once again, before telling him that once you were cleared, you would vanish, and never bother him again.   
Folding it up, you handed it to Sam. “Please, give this to him. I know he probably won’t want to read it, but maybe, in time, he won’t be so mad.”  
Sam nodded, placing the note in his pocket. Reaching over, he grasped your hand. “I’m sorry things are like this. I really thought you and Dean would’ve been happy together. But you have my phone number. Call me for anything, and I mean it. I don’t care what Dean says. I’ll come running.”  
“Thanks Sam. Take care of yourself. And your stubborn brother. And take that Angel with you. Tell him I will never forget all that he did for me.” You squeezed his hand, watching with a sad expression as the person you thought of as a brother left the room, probably to never see again.   
With a sigh, you knew your life would never be the same. Gone were the days of hiding in cheap motel rooms, waiting for your parents and the pain that followed them. Gone were the days of having Dean back in your life. It was a fresh start, and it was the scariest thing you had ever even thought about it.   
Since Cas had pretty much healed you, you knew you no longer needed to stay in the hospital. Especially since you had no insurance. You had nothing. No clothes, or possessions. You only had the spare cash that you had taken from your parents, enough for a couple of hotel stays until you figured out your next move.   
Climbing out of bed, your legs wobbled for a moment, before they grew strong enough to hold you. Wincing, you picked up your clothes, seeing the knife marks still cut into them. Knowing they would have to do until you could hit a thrift store, you slid them on, your body still stiff, but no longer sore. Once your feet were encased in your boots, you made your way into the bathroom. Your hair was a ratted mess, and you began tugging at the knots with the cheap comb, wanting to look as normal as possible for when you tried escaping.  
Once everything seemed in order, you glanced out the door, surprised to see the hallway empty. With a deep breath, you went left, glancing around each corner to make sure your nurse or doctor wasn’t standing there. Escaping a hospital was easier than you had thought, and before you knew it you were at the main entrance, about ready to head outside when you saw Sam and Dean striding through.  
“Dean, she wanted me to give you this!” Sam exclaimed, holding the note you had given him. Rushing after his brother, you weren’t surprised to see that Dean wasn’t listening to him, not at all.  
“Sam, I’m done with her. And that includes letters that she wrote. We’re getting Cas, and we’re getting out of here.” Dean growled, stopping for a moment, glancing around the lobby and you ducked behind the column, making sure you weren’t seen.   
“Just read it. Please. You know Y/N. She wouldn’t have deliberately tried to hurt you! Give her the benefit of the doubt.” Sam argued, just as Cas came up. You knew now was the time to leave, before the Angel noticed you hiding there.   
“Dean, I agree…” You heard Cas start to say before you heard no more as you rushed out of the doors, racing away from the tall building. With no destination in your head, you began walking. Away from the only life you had ever known. The only man you had ever loved. To some unforeseen future that scared you more than you wanted to admit.


	13. Chapter 13

It was amazing how quickly time seemed to pass when you had idea what you were doing, or any idea who you actually were. Without your parents harassing and hurting you, you had quickly found out life was a lot different.   
As soon as you walked out the hospital, you had nothing planned except traveling as far away as you could, trying to forget the life that had done nothing but kicked you in the butt. With only a little bit of change, it had been tough going at first, and within a week you had found yourself sleeping in a random park, your stomach growling as you counted the last of your pennies. With not even enough money to buy a cup of coffee, you knew you needed to come up with a plan, and fast.   
With your cell phone still back in that hotel room, you had no idea if anyone was searching for you. If Sam was trying to make sure you were okay. It was freeing, and a little scary, knowing you were completely on your own. Probably for the first time in your entire life. Your parents had kept you so caged up, scared of everything, that you didn’t know what freedom tasted like.   
It was after your second day of going hungry you finally saw the help wanted sign in the simple diner in the tiny town you had found yourself in. Ducking in to the gas station, you worked hard to make yourself presentable, sighing at the faded and stained shirt you were wearing. Nervously, you stepped into the diner, glancing around the almost empty building. Only one man sat at the counter, a cup of coffee in front of him, along with an enticing cinnamon roll.   
“Can I help you?” An older woman asked, as she wiped down a table, and you nodded. Explaining why you were there, she had given you one long look before giving you the job, along with the room upstairs to stay in.   
That’s where you found yourself still, three months later. Happily waiting tables, something you had never imagined doing. As far away from the hunting life as you could get. Without your parent’s heavy hand, you found yourself smiling more, gaining a little weight so your cheeks weren’t so sunk in. Your hair was getting longer, gleaming down your back, and you had a bounce to your step.   
“I don’t know where you came from, but you’re an Angel in disguise.” Your Boss, Catherine, muttered as she passed you by, a tray full of empty plates in her hand. “I couldn’t run this place without you.”  
Chuckling softly to yourself at her words, your heart aching a little at the thought of Cas, the Angel you used to know. That part of your life seemed so far away, another part, another person. Hunting was no longer a part of your life, unless you counted the men who came into the diner every now and then. “You’re the Angel for giving me this job.” You answered her, taking off the ready plates from the warmer, ready to take them out.   
“We’ve done each other a world of good.” She agreed, heading to the back. With a smile on your face, you handed off the plates, turning to the booth towards the back that was just sat.   
“How can I help…Bobby?” You exclaimed, staring at the man in front of you in surprise. You hadn’t seen the grizzly old hunter for years, and you hadn’t been expecting to see him in your diner.   
“Y/N?” He questioned, staring at you in surprise. Before you knew it, he was up, crushing you in a deep hug. “Where the hell have you been girl?”   
“Here.” You answered simply. “Working.”  
“Just as a waitress?” He asked, and you nodded, surprising him. Since the diner wasn’t very busy, you settled in across from him, more grateful to see the old man then he probably realized.   
“Yeah. Catherine’s been very good to me, helped me get on my feet while I tried to figure my life out. After the, well after the incident, I didn’t know what to do, or where to go. When I was at my low, she gave me this job, and a place to stay.” You explained, smiling at Catherine when she came over, handing both you and Bobby hamburgers and fries.   
Taking a bite of a fry, you smiled up at the man who had always been nicer to you then both of your parents combined. “You could have always come to me Y/N. You’re like a daughter to me.”  
Reaching over and squeezing his hand, you smiled up at him. “I know. But I’ve never been on my own. All my life my parents have been there, ordering me around, using pain when fear wasn’t enough. I needed this. I didn’t know how much I truly needed this.”  
“I can see how happy you are. But Y/N, you vanished from that hospital, and people have been worried.” He chastised you.   
“Not that worried. I burnt those bridges, and there’s no going back.” You insisted, amazed at how those words still tweaked your heart. Even after three months of being gone, of knowing things were over between you and Dean, your heart hadn’t gotten over it, and you figured you probably never would.  
“I don’t think so.” He argued. “Sam has been worried sick, working non-stop to try and find you. Cas has been searching to, but hasn’t been able to yet.”  
“And Dean?” You asked, dreading the answer.  
“That man is turning into a walking zombie. Refuses to eat or sleep. Or shave. He’s a mess, and it’s because he can’t find you.” Bobby told you, a mouth full of burger.  
“I don’t believe that. Bobby, he was so mad at me, and I pushed him away. There’s no way he’ll forgive me for that.” You answered sadly.  
“I don’t agree. The man read your letter. Keeps it in his pocket, and I’ll catch him looking at it. He wants to find you, and talk things out like the pig headed idjit should have done in the first place.” Bobby muttered.  
Reaching out, you grasped his hand. “Bobby, please. Don’t tell them where I’m at. At least not yet. I don’t know if I want back in that life. It’s caused me nothing but pain. I’m out, and I might want to stay that way.”  
“I don’t like it.” He grumbled. “But I’ll give you two days, then I’m telling them. They need peace of mind just as much as you need this.”


	14. Chapter 14

As soon as you hugged Bobby goodbye, you raced up to your apartment, your heart pounding. It had been good to see Bobby, more so than you had ever expected. But you were scared of the consequences. Knowing that he would give you no more than those two days before he talked to Sam and Dean.   
Wondering if you should pack your bags now, and run off before they arrived, or stay and try to talk to them. Sure, your life was going smoothly right now, but still, you couldn’t keep Dean from your dreams. You missed the stubborn, hard headed man but you weren’t sure you wanted to go back to a life of hunting. It was such a hard choice, and you wanted to pull your hair out from the stress of it all.  
“Y/N?” Catherine, your boss, said your name as she knocked on the door. “Is everything okay?”   
Sighing, you opened the door and she walked in. She knew only bits and pieces of your life before, and you wanted to keep it that way. “Sorry I took off like that. It was just weird seeing him after so long.” You apologized, even though your shift was officially over.  
“That’s no problem dear. I was just worried about you. You’ve never had any visitors as long as you worked here, and you seemed happy to see that man.”   
“At one point, he had been like a father to me.” You answered sadly, sad that your life was messed up so much that you had pushed anyone who cared for you away.   
“I have never pushed to know your history. You’ve been an immense help to me from the start, and I’ve never wanted to push you away. But I just wanted you to know that I’m always here if you need to talk.” She told you, patting your hand.  
You appreciated her effort, you really did. But if you opened your mouth and told her any of the truth, you knew she would probably kick you out before you could finish talking. “Thank you. I appreciate that more than you know. But it’s my cross to bear.”   
Sighing, she stood up, heading out the door. Before shutting the door behind her, she turned to face you once again. “I don’t know your problems, but I do know this. No matter how much you think you’ve messed up, if they love you enough, they will listen. It takes time to heal a broken heart, but they do heal. Don’t ignore things until it’s too late.”  
With those final words, she shut the door behind her, leaving you alone with your thoughts. She was right. No matter how much you needed this, to be on your own, you needed Dean by your side as well. Dean had always been your rock, from the first moment you met, to the moment you had broken his heart. Without Dean, you probably would have never had the courage to end your parent’s hold on you, even though he never knew about it to begin with.   
You wondered if he read your letter that explained why you had done the things you did. If it even made any difference to him at all. You were torn, having no idea what to do. You wanted to race away, to another no name town where you could be this new person you were slowly and carefully carving out for yourself. But another part of you wanted to wait for Dean, to stay and hope that he had forgiven you.  
Lost in thoughts, it took you a moment before you heard your phone ringing, a seldom occurrence in your apartment. Nobody had your phone number, and you almost didn’t pick it up. On the last ring you grabbed it, not speaking, just listening to the person on the other end of the line.  
“Y/N girl, you there?” Bobby asked, sounding frantic.   
“Bobby? How did you get this number?” You questioned him, before realizing it was such a stupid question. It was Bobby, one of the greatest researcher’s the hunting world had ever known. If he wanted your phone number, he would have your phone number within an hour. “Never mind. Something’s up if you’re calling me.”  
“Listen Y/N, I was going to keep my promise, I need to tell you that first.” He said fast, and you could hear the sound of a car horn in the distance. “But when I returned to the motel room, it had been broken in to.”  
“Demons?” You asked nervously, ready to search for your nearest weapon.  
“No girl, ain’t no Demons in this town that I know of. It’s worse.” He huffed, sounding out of breath.  
“Then what Bobby? I’m confused.” You waited impatiently for him to get on with it.  
“Sam and Dean. They came to join me on this hunt!” He exclaimed, laying on the car horn one more time.  
“Bobby, you didn’t tell him, did you?” You squealed, running your hand through your hair in frustration. Racing into your room, you began throwing your meager belongings into your suitcase. Sure, just moments ago you had been ready to see Dean once again. But you had thought you would have two days to adjust. But now, knowing he might be on his way, the only thing you could think of was flight, and you needed to get out of here, right away.   
“I didn’t need to. I’m so sorry Y/N, I never meant for him to find out this way.” Bobby apologized.  
“How did he find out?” You asked him, hearing him sigh once again.  
“He umm, he smelled your perfume on my coat. Y/N, he’s like a son to me! I couldn’t lie straight to his face!”  
“Thanks Bobby. I’ve got to go.” You muttered, hanging up the phone. With your suitcase full, you slammed it shut, writing a quick note apologizing to Catherine. You hated running out on her like this, but you were in panic mode.   
Leaving the note on the counter where she could see it, you glanced around the room one more time, a tear trickling down your cheek at the thought of leaving this place behind. Sure, you had only lived there for a couple of months, but it had been your place. Your first place you didn’t have to worry about your parents coming back. You had the ability to decorate it as you liked. The fridge was stocked with food you liked, and you relished the freedom it had provided you. But all of that was being ripped from you because your control had once again been ripped away. Now all you could do was panic, once again feeling like that young, frightened, abused daughter.  
Sniffling back your tears, you grabbed your suitcase, throwing open the door. Without even looking, you raced outside, running straight into a wall full of muscle. “Going somewhere?” Dean asked as his hands wrapped around your upper arms, holding you steady.


	15. Chapter 15

“Dean?” You breathed out, not even attempting to move away from his grasp. Just seeing him there made you realize how much you had missed him. How much he truly meant to you. He looked rough around the edges, with dark circles under his eyes. It made you realize that you had done that to him. You had messed with his emotions, made him hurt when you had just been trying to protect him all along. “What are you doing here?”  
“Well, I was planning on helping a friend, no, not a friend. Family. I was planning on helping family with a hunt. But when I arrived at his motel room, all I could smell was your distinctive perfume. I could see the guilt on his face, and I knew right away that he had run into you. What I want to know is what made him not say anything in the first place?” He said softly, his face carefully schooled to show no emotions.  
“I asked him not to. Just for a little bit. Please don’t be made at him.” You pleaded.  
“Oh, I’m not mad at him. I’m not mad at all. I’m just disappointed that you would make Bobby lie to me, just so you would have time to run away again. But that’s what you’re good at, isn’t it? Running away without a word.” He grumbled, his grip tightening on your arm.  
It was then you tried to pull away, his grasp tight enough you knew there would be bruises there. Glancing down, he saw how tight his hand was, and he pulled away as if you had burnt him. Sighing, he ran his hand along his mouth. “Can we not do this out here? Please?”  
Stepping aside, you let him into your apartment, and his eyes immediately went to the bags laying next to the door. You could see how tense his body was, how hard he was trying to stay under control, and in a way you wanted him to just open up and let it all out. Have him scream and yell at you instead of this cold shell that you hated. “Dean, sit. Then we can talk.”  
Sitting down on the only chair in the room, he crossed his arms, waiting for you. You sat down on the couch across from him, nervously fiddling with the rip in your jeans. “Where do I start?”  
“From the beginning is always a good thing.” He muttered. “I read the letter, but I’d like to hear it from your lips if you wouldn’t mind.”  
Nodding, you took a deep breath. “Dean, before I start I need to say this. I never wanted to hurt you. It was never my attention.”  
He chuckled darkly, but didn’t say anything. “I pushed you away after that hunt because my parents forced me to. It was either push you away, or watch them kill you, and I couldn’t have that. Please see that I was trying to protect you.”  
“By breaking my heart?” He asked, his words breaking at the end, showing you exactly how hurt he was. Dean didn’t like to broadcast his feelings, you knew that. But by saying those words he had admitted so much, and it clawed at your heart to know you had done that to him. “Didn’t you think we could protect ourselves? I’m a freaking hunter! Killing Demons is my job!”  
“But they were my parents!” You exclaimed. “You knew them, and even though you had promised to avenge me, you would have second guessed yourself. They were strong Demons, and I couldn’t take the chance!”  
“So, you went willingly with them, just to save me?” He spat, standing up and pacing the small room. “Why did you stay with them that long? Why didn’t you contact us?”  
“Because…” You started, unsure how to get him to understand. You had done it all for him, but that thought seemed to tick him off. “I went with them to save you. But then I couldn’t get away. They were worse than my parents had ever been, and there were times I couldn’t even move.”  
Dean slamming his hand into the wall stopped your story, and you could see the frustration flowing through him. “That’s my fault!” He yelled, turning to face you. “I promised you they would never touch you again! I don’t care that they were demons. I promised you, and then you went with them, and I couldn’t protect you. I wasn’t there when you needed me!”  
“Dean, please. I was the one to push you away. I was the one who went willingly with them. I told Cas not to tell you anything!”  
“Cas knew?” He asked quietly, and you realized the Angel had kept your secret just like you had asked. Even when Dean had been given the note, Cas had never spilled your story.   
“Yes. I prayed for him one day, when the pain was too much, and he came to me. He wanted to help me, to get me away from my parents.”  
“Why didn’t you let him?” He asked you, coming to sit down next to you. “Why did you keep yourself in danger?”  
“Because that way I knew what their plans were. I wanted to make sure they stayed far away from you. And I wanted to kill them myself.” You muttered, grateful that you had exacted your revenge.   
“But you killed them?” He asked, and you nodded. “That’s why you were in the hospital?”  
“Yes. They attacked me, but I was able to get my revenge. They will never be able to hurt me again. I know you wanted to protect me, to kill them yourself. But Dean, I needed that. I needed to end that part of my life.”  
“But then, you ran at the hospital.” He spoke softly, replaying the time in his mind. “Because I wouldn’t listen?”  
“I was just away from my parents, and everything was different. I tried explaining things, but you were being Dean. Headstrong, stubborn, and hurt. I was ready to test out this new world, where I didn’t live under my parents thumb anymore, and I figured you would probably never forgive me for the hurt I put you through. So, I ran, because it was the only thing I could think of.”  
“So, where do we go from here?” He asked, not just you, but himself as well.


	16. Chapter 16

"I was just away from my parents, and everything was different. I tried explaining things, but you were being Dean. Headstrong, stubborn, and hurt. I was ready to test out this new world, where I didn't live under my parents thumb anymore, and I figured you would probably never forgive me for the hurt I put you through. So, I ran, because it was the only thing I could think of."  
"So, where do we go from here?" He asked, not just you, but himself as well.  
Sighing, you stood up, heading into your kitchen where you grabbed a couple of beers. Taking him one, you stayed on your feet, a nervous energy keeping you moving, unable to sit down. “Dean, I don’t know. When I heard you were in town, that this confrontation would happen, the first thing I wanted to do was run. I panicked. I had just found freedom, had a taste of what it was like to be on my own for once. To make my own decisions, to not have to fear the heavy hand of my parents anymore.”  
“And you thought me coming here was going to take that from you?” He asked, unable to conceal the hurt in his voice.  
“No, yes. I don’t know!” You yelled, angry at yourself for how confused you felt. “Dean, I don’t think you would mean to take any of that away, but just being with you, would change that. And it made me panic.”  
Running his hand through his hair, he stood up, placing his unopened beer on the coffee table. With his shoulders hunched, he started walking towards the door. “Y/N, I’m not your parents, but if you want to choose this sense of freedom over a relationship. If even thinking about being with me made you panic, then I guess I know what that means. So, I wish you all the best, I truly do. But don’t come knocking on my door once again, begging for help. Because I can only do this once.”  
“Dean, wait!” You exclaimed, racing over and stopping him from opening the door. “Please, let me finish.”  
You watched as he took a deep breath, schooling his features before he turned to look at you. “Fine, finish.”  
“Yes, I panicked. Sure, partly because I knew being with you would change this little life I had found for myself. But that’s not the biggest reason.” You explained, grabbing his hand and pulling him back over to the couch. With a frown, he sat down, making sure that his knee didn’t come close to brushing yours.   
Clasping your hands together in your lap, you continued. “But I mainly panicked because I didn’t know what your reaction to seeing me again would be. I couldn’t see you, see the hate or the pity in your eyes. That would have been almost worse than any beating I had ever received from my parents. So instead of having that happen, I decided to run.”  
“Y/N, why would I…” He started, then stopped.   
“Dean, I knew how upset you were, I knew how mad you were at me. I thought you would never get over that, no matter how much explaining I did. But I love you Dean, and I’m so glad that we had this chance to talk. No matter what happens from here on out, I’m forever grateful you caught me before I could run again.”  
“Can you promise me one thing?” He asked you, and you shook your head emphatically. “Don’t run again, please. No matter what we’re going through, please talk to me. Give me a sign, a code word. Anything to let me know how you’re feeling. But don’t run!”  
His words gave you hope that maybe you hadn’t completely ruined things between the two of you. “Dean I promise. But does this mean…”  
“Y/N, I’ve never stopped loving you. Even when I was hurting, I loved you. When you were with your parents, I was a mess. I missed you, I was furious with you. But mainly? I was scared. Then, when you were in the hospital, I couldn’t handle seeing you there, battered, knowing that I had broken my promise. Finding out you had taken on your parent’s wrath to protect me? Y/N, you humbled me, and I couldn’t wait to find you to tell you that. To have you in my arms once again. So please, come with me. We can move slow, figure things out. I will never take your freedom away from you, but sweetheart, I need you by my side. Please?”  
Crossing the short distance on the couch, you flung yourself into his arms, unable to contain the tears that slipped down your cheek. You were happy, and as soon as you felt his arms around you, you knew this life you had been living had been fake. That your happiness and freedom had just been temporary. Your true happiness was being in Dean’s arms. Dean had been your freedom all along, even when you had been young. You had just forgotten that for a while.   
With you settled against his chest, he glanced around the room. “So, about this. You’re already packed, so…”  
“I just need to tell Catherine that I’m leaving. I’ll think she’ll understand.” You answered him.   
“Good. But maybe you can tell her in the morning?” Dean asked hopefully. “It’s our first night back together, and I don’t want that happening in a motel room with Sam and Dean. Even if I just hold you in my arms, it would be nice just to have the two of us.”  
“Of course.” You answered. “I can text Catherine, let her know my situation, and we can leave in the morning. I’ll order us pizza?”  
“Sounds amazing.” Dean answered, but the two of you made no attempts to move away from each other. You loved being held in Dean’s arms, back where you had always belonged, and you would be forever grateful to Bobby for bringing the two of you together once again.   
“We need to do something nice for Bobby.” You mumbled against Dean’s chest. “Without him, we could have missed each other completely.”  
“I’ll buy him a bottle of whiskey.” Dean answered.   
As the two of you sat there in silence, you nervously nibbled on your lip. Everything was perfect, better than you could have expected, but still. You still felt like the broken daughter of your parents, flinching at some movements, still somewhat a shell of your former self. And you worried that you would never get past that. “Dean.” You asked quietly, and he hummed in response.  
“What if I can’t get past my reservations? What if my parents screwed me up so much, that I’m just this broken person, and you get tired of me?” You whispered your dark thoughts, the idea of it becoming too much for Dean scaring you.  
“I will never get tired of you. And without your parents here any longer, you just need to give it time. You’ve already changed, I can see that. And you’ll continue to blossom, and soon you might grow tired of me. After all, I’m broken too.” He answered.  
“Never.” You insisted. “You’ve been there for me since I can remember. I’ve loved you since we were young, and I’ll never grow tired of you. We can be broken together.”   
“What a pair we make.” He whispered against your hair. “But I’d rather be broken with you, than whole with anyone else.


	17. Chapter 17

6 months later   
Laying against the headboard of the hotel bed, you sighed in contentment. Tossing the empty pie container on the night stand, you smiled over at Dean who had blueberry filling on his face. “That was probably the best blueberry pie I’ve ever had.” He muttered, rubbing his stomach.   
“Isn’t that what you said about the last one?” You chuckled, and he just shrugged his shoulders at you.   
“What can I say? I love me some pie, and these last two stops have been amazing.” He answered, before groaning.   
“Maybe eating a full pie was over doing it a little.” You teased, and he nodded in agreement.   
“But it was soo good!” He groaned, before standing up and making his way towards the bathroom. “But when we get to Bobby’s, I’m gonna have to do something after all the pie I’ve eaten. Maybe even join Sam in a jog or two.”  
“You? Jogging?” You choked, as he stumbled his way to the bathroom. “I know some other ways we can burn the calories off.”  
“I like your way of thinking.” He answered, before shutting the door behind him. Chuckling softly to yourself, you picked up your phone, smiling when you saw a text from Sam.  
“Hurry up you two, Bobby’s driving me crazy! I’ve cleaned every one of his guns. Miss you, and hope your honeymoon is going well.”  
Sending off a quick reply, you placed your phone back on the night stand. The honeymoon was going extremely well. If you had been asked a year ago, you would have never believed this moment possible. But your life had changed so much, and you were a different person now. Sure, there was a part of that person that would never go away. That would still flinch when a hand is raised, or when a voice gets too loud. But you no longer hid in the shadows, running when things got too tough. Dean had shown you there was a life out there worth living, with him by your side.   
That fateful day he had turned up at your apartment was the day you truly started living. After talking things through, you had felt a new connection to Dean, and that had only grown when you had gone with him, a fresh start to your relationship.  
After you had explained things to him, Dean had been sweet and caring. Never pushing you, giving you the time you had needed, to get used to the fact that your parents were no longer hovering over you. That there wasn’t someone close by that drew pleasure from your pain. Dean stayed by your side constantly, comforting you during your nightmares, helping you get back to that sassy girl he had first fallen in love with.  
“What are you thinking about?” He asked you, coming out in just his boxers.   
“That I need one of those tattoos.” You answered him, running your hand across it when he came to sit next to you on the bed.  
“Yeah, we’ve waited a little too long.” He agreed. “Bobby knows a good tattoo artist, we can it as soon as we head back.”  
“Speaking of which, Sam said he’s going crazy up with Bobby. He’s ready to hunt.” You told him, sighing contentedly when Dean pulled you against his chest.   
“I am too.” Dean admitted. “This honeymoon has been amazing. Something I never thought would be possible, but I always imagined with you. But we’ve been relaxing too long.”  
“I agree.” You answered, even though you were nervous about the whole idea. But Dean had been working with you, getting you into hunting shape. You would be fine, especially with him by your side. “This has probably been the best time of my life.”  
“Just probably?” He teased, tickling you until you couldn’t breathe.   
“For sure.” You answered. “I had never thought this possible. That you would want to settle down and get married. Especially to me. Someone who is still so broken. Who might never fully stop flinching from contact.”  
“Don’t you remember?” He asked. “We’re broken together. What’s that cheesy saying? Two halves make a whole? So, what if we’re broken? We’re whole together, and that’s all that counts. I can’t imagine life without you beside me. Those years without you, then when you ran away again? Those were the worst days of my life, and I never want anything like that happening again.”  
Pressing your lips to the side of his jaw, you snuggled deeper into his embrace. “The entire time I was with my parents, hiding and afraid in the sleazy motels, you were the only thing that kept me going. Knowing that you were out there, that you would probably come running with just one call. That’s the only reason I’m still here.”  
“I just wish you had called.” He muttered quietly against your hair. “I hate knowing that you suffered for so long.”  
“It’s over now, and that’s all that matters. Well, that and getting back to Bobby’s before Sam pulls his hair out.” You yawned.  
“It’s getting too long anyways.” Dean answered, and you could feel the chuckle rumbling his chest.   
With your eyes closed, you relaxed in Dean’s embrace, knowing that the future wouldn’t be easy. After all, you were hunters and a hunter’s life wasn’t easy. But you knew you wouldn’t trade this new chance on life for anything.


End file.
